Brownfield Redevelopment Riskopolis: Weather-Triggering Incidents

7. A retail store which was being built on top of an established underground parking garage was in the path of a severe hurricane. As a result of the heavy rains, the lowest level of the parking garage was completely flooded. The flooding caused a backup of sewage as well as gasoline and other automotive fluids released from vehicles left in the garage during the storm. Clean-up was required for both the petroleum impacts and the sewage.

8. The Environmentalville crew was building a barber shop for the new shopping plaza. After framing had begun and before the building envelope could be completed, a series of rainstorms affected the area. Over the course of several months, rain fell on the site numerous times per week and mold developed throughout the project. Not only were they not able to complete the building envelope, but dry-out became difficult. The mold spread throughout the structure, impacting additional building materials. Construction delays set the plaza development date back.

9. During a particularly heavy storm, rainwater gathered in a puddle on the roof of a newly constructed general store. Due to a clogged drain, the water level rose higher than the installed protective flashing and entered the drywall behind store shelves. Over time, mold began to grow in the obscured area and was not discovered until odors were noticed by the Environmentalville crew, leading to a costly clean-up.

10. A general contractor on the Environmentalville crew hired a roofing subcontractor to install a roof on a new plaza building. After the roof was installed by the subcontractor, a tornado swept through the area, partially lifting the roof from the building. The exposed roof allowed for water intrusion which developed into a mold condition on parts of the building’s new interior. Investigation revealed that the roofing contractor negligently installed the roof tie downs. The roofing contractor did not have insurance coverage, so the general contractor was held liable for damages.

11. A utility contractor, was hired to install natural gas lines as part of the plaza development project. The utility contractor left a trench open over the weekend. Heavy rains washed away erosion controls, allowing soil and sediments to be released from the trench and into the adjacent bay. The contractor was subsequently fined by a regulatory agency for the discharge and natural resource damage resulting from the release.